Spikes on 100 feeder boxes, adequate staff for repairs: MSEDCL’s steps for safe celebrations

A temporary control room will be set up in the Modi Ganapati area for immersion processions along Laxmi road and Tilak Road and will be functional till the end of the procession.

Ganeshotsav immersion procession, Ganeshotsav procession route, MSEDCL’s steps for safe celebrations, indian express news

Devotees immerse Ganpati idols in tanks installed near the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on the seventh day of Ganesotsav on Monday. (Express Photo by Arul Horizon)

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Keeping in mind the huge number of devotees and visitors who pour onto the streets to view the immersion procession on the final day of Ganeshotsav, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), for the first time, has installed spikes on more than 100 electricity feeder pillar boxes along the procession route.

Rajendra Pawar, chief engineer of MSEDCL, Pune Zone, told The Indian Express that the action has been taken so as to dissuade people from sitting on them.

A feeder pillar is used to house electrical equipment and is easily identified due to its red colour. “We have noticed that several people sit on these feeder pillar boxes and time and again, we have appealed to people to refrain from doing so. Now, we have installed spikes on them on a permanent basis to discourage people from doing so,” said Pawar.

These nails/spikes on the feeder pillars will also prevent children and others from climbing them to get a better view of the brightly lit Ganesh floats along the immersion route.

According to data available with the Pune police, there are approximately 3,000 Ganesh mandals which register every year. Officials from the state power utility said they have given electricity connections to around 350-400 new mandals.

Some of the old mandals have their own permanent electricity connections. However, with the increased use of electrical connections around the pandals, officials have urged the organisers to take special precautions towards safe celebrations.

A team of engineers and staff will be stationed with mobile vans along the route of the immersion procession. A temporary control room will be set up in the Modi Ganapati area for immersion processions along Laxmi road and Tilak Road and will be functional till the end of the procession.

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“Our staff will also be present along the immersion route so as to ensure devotees stay at a safe distance from high and low-pressure power lines. While standing on the tractor trolley…, we have appealed to the organisers of Ganesh mandals to be careful of the overhead power lines,” said Pawar.

“On our part,…we are continuously reviewing the power supply situation,” said the chief engineer.
Meanwhile, 4,575 engineers, technical staff and contractors’ staff have been appointed for repair works as part of the special precautions towards electricity safety during the festival and immersion procession.

The utility has also set up a special contact number 7875767123 for any major complaints. This number will be functional till September 29. Apart from this, toll free numbers 1912 or 18002123435 or 18002333435 will be available for any complaints.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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